You won’t be able to get a job if you haven’t had vaccine says Pimlico Plumbers boss
PIMLICO Plumbers boss Charlie Mullins has said he won't hire anyone who hasn't had a Covid vaccine as part of a strict a "no jab, no job" policy
The plumbing firm is set is to introduce the rule into work contracts to ensure all employees will be vaccinated against coronavirus.
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Founder Mr Mullins expects most of the firm's 450 workers to sign the new contracts, and future jobseekers will be denied interviews if they haven't been vaccinated.
The contracts are currently being drawn up by the London-based firm's lawyers together with its HR team.
"No vaccine, no job," Mr Mullins, 66, told The Sun.
"When we go off to Kenya and other African countries, we have to have a jab for malaria – we don’t think about it, we just do it.
"So why would we accept something within our country that’s going to kill us when we can have a vaccine to stop it?
"We can’t carry on the way we are. I think this is going to be the future."
Multi-millionaire Mr Mullins said 99% of the workers he's spoken to have said they'll be happy to be vaccinated.
He added: "Existing workers don't have to agree to it, I'm not going to sack them.
"But once the vaccine is in wider circulation, new workers won't get a job with us unless they're vaccinated."
The Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984 specifically states that people cannot be forced to undergo any mandatory medical treatment, including vaccinations.
The government's vaccine programme is currently being rolled out across the UK.
At least around 80% of the population need to receive the jab for herd immunity to take effect and bring cases down.
A few days ago, more than 2.4million people - almost 4% of the UK population - had received a coronavirus jab.
Another 400,000 have been given out as second doses.
It comes as The Sun continues its Jabs Army campaign where we're calling on volunteers to help with vaccinating the nation.
Sarah Calderwood, employment lawyer at solicitors Slater Heelis, told The Sun that though bosses should offer to provide immunisations, “employees are at liberty to refuse immunisation”.
She added: “If employers want to make the Covid vaccine a contractual requirement, changes in the terms of the contract would need to be agreed by staff.
"Employers enforcing this change without employees’ express and implied agreement would be in breach of contract and employees would be entitled to resign and claim constructive unfair dismissal."
Vaccine requirements could also subject employers to discrimination claims as workers may not be able to get vaccinated on health or religious concerns, she added.
In the UK, vaccination operates on a consent-based system making it illegal to force someone to have one.
A government spokesperson told The Sun: "Scientists are united that the vaccine offers the best form of protection against the virus.
"However, employers must ensure that work contracts are legal and not used to unfairly discriminate against individuals."
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In August, Mr Mullins revealed around 30 people lost their jobs after they refused to return to work from furlough after the first lockdown.
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A few days later, This Morning viewers were left fuming when Mr Mullins blasted "lazy" workers - from a villa in Marbella.
Meanwhile, Australian airline Qantas will only let passengers who’ve had the Covid vaccine on their international flights.
